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Zimbabwe officer who used Mugabe's toilet awaits word on his fate

A police officer was sentenced last week to 10 days in jail for using a toilet reserved for Robert Mugabe (pictured) at a trade fair.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Police officer on security team at Zimbabwe trade fair had to go, and used VIP toilet

It was reserved for President Robert Mugabe and African Export Import Bank chief

Relative of officer says he hopes the guilty verdict will be overturned this week

Harare, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- A police officer in Zimbabwe who has languished at a police detention barracks for a month for using a toilet reserved for President Robert Mugabe will learn his fate at end of this week following an appeal to his boss.

Alois Mabhunu, a homicide detective was sentenced last week to 10 days after he was convicted by an internal police court for responding to a call of nature in a toilet which had been reserved for Mugabe at a trade fair in Zimbabwes second biggest city.

On Monday, a relative of Mabhunu said the officer was not represented by a lawyer at the hearing, but is hoping the police commissioner-general, Augustine Chihuri, will overturn the guilty verdict this week. He said he had heard that Chihuri will look at the appeal on Thursday or Friday.Besides serving the 10-day sentence, Mabhunu, a homicide detective, has been demoted and will no longer be allowed to wear plain clothes.

Contacted for comment, Wayne Bvudzijena police spokesperson on Monday said the issue of Mabhunu was an internal, purely disciplinary matter on which he couldn't comment. Bvudzijen said Mabhunu failed to obey instructions and the law had to take its course.

Mabhunu was part of the security team when Mugabe attended the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair last month. He is alleged to have rushed to the VIP toilets reserved for Mugabe and Jean Louis Ekra, head of the African Export Import Bank, who was participating in the opening ceremonies.

When he was stopped by other officers guarding the toilets, he obliged, but he later forced his way in. The following day he was arrested, he has been in custody since then.